Genesis 6:1-4
I've been reading some commentaries on Genesis 6:1-4, and almost all of them interpret the expression "son of God" as a reference to divine beings or angels. What is a proper understanding of this biblical text?
Read MoreEsther 9:11-16
I have always had difficulties reading the book of Esther and understanding why the Jews, under the leadership of Esther and Mordecai, had to massacre so many people. They seemed to have been controlled by a spirit of hatred and vengeance. Am I reading the story properly?
Read More1 Samuel 28:3-19
I find the story of Saul and the medium of En-dor intriguing and challenging. What kind of divination was done and how were the dead consulted in the ancient world?
Read MoreLeviticus 11
Is the law of unclean animals still valid? It appears to me that it is simply another Israelite ceremonial law. Several Adventist scholars have recently studied the law of unclean/clean animals with some interesting conclusions.
Read MoreGenesis 2:17
What is the meaning of the expression "the knowledge of good and evil" in Genesis 2:s17? This phrase, in the context of the Creation narrative, has been debated among Bible students for centuries, and various interpretations have been given to it.
Read MoreGenesis 5:22
There is in Genesis 5: 22 a phrase I like very much: "Enoch walked with God." Would you tell me, in practical terms, the meaning of that phrase?
Read MoreJeremiah 7:18
I found in Jeremiah 7:18 a reference to a goddess named the "queen of heaven." Who was she? This goddess is also mentioned in Jeremiah 44:17-19, and 25. In our attempt to identify this pagan deity we should begin with the biblical references. In this particular case, the texts provide good, although limited, information.
Read MoreLeviticus 16:22
Leviticus 16:22 says that the goat for Azazel "shall bear all their iniquities upon him" (RSV); and Isaiah 53:12 describes the promised Saviour with the words "He bore the sin of many." Does that not make the goat for Azazel a symbol of Christ?
Read MoreExodus 21:23, 24
This piece of legislation sounds barbaric and inhumane to many modern people. And until rather recently scholars tended to interpret it in terms of the practice reflecting a very early stage in the development of the Israelite legal system.
Read MorePsalm 82:1
Let me quote the two verses you seem to have in mind: "God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgments among the 'gods' " (verse 1); * "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' But you will die as mere men" (verse 6). The New International Version puts…
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